British MPs have been informed of a serious data breach affecting Ministry of Defence staff. The government did not reveal the name of the offending country, but according to Sky News, China is behind the hacking attack.
During the incident, the payroll system was attacked, resulting in the names and bank details of current employees and some veteran employees being published.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected any accusations of launching a cyber attack and confirmed in a statement that it opposes the use of such actions for political purposes. British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps announced that he would make a statement to the House of Commons It will present a multi-pronged plan to protect affected individuals. The Ministry of Defense in London also spoke: They expressed their hope that the personnel on duty would not be concerned about their safety and promised them support. The system affected by the attack is not directly connected to major IT systems. The affected system was shut down immediately after the attack was discovered.
This incident further complicates relations between the United Kingdom and China, especially in light of similar incidents occurring in the past.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, these events highlight how important it is to protect the digital space. Chinese President Xi Jinping is currently on a European tour during which he will visit several countries.
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